Viciously in Love

Fourteen.

   I get out of the classroom feeling like I can finally breathe. Mister Johnson's class is horrible. He kept asking me questions about the lesson we had to study for today and I almost lost it. It was so stressful.

   "My survivor!" says Kelly almost yelling while she comes after me.

We both laugh and I hug her and thank her all over again.

I owe her one. She helped me study last night for Johnson's class. I would've probably lost it without her. She's great with biology. But I'm not surprised since she wants to go to med school.

   "I wouldn't be so surprised if you'd tell me you want to go to med school too." she says and we both start laughing.

   "Sorry to disappoint you, but it won't happen. Ever." I say while making a weird face.

   We both walk towards the girls' locker room so we can get ready for the tryouts. I never thought about being a cheerleader, but Kelly told me that she gave it a shot last year and that I should too. So why not?

*

   "Nicole Danieli." the couch calls my name, which means it's finally my turn. It's not a big deal. I've done this before. I did almost 8 years of gymnastics. I can do this.

   I position myself exactly where the other girls where and without thinking twice I wave my hands around then I just start doing what I know best. I missed gymnastics. I didn't even realize that until now. Until I did everything I was supposed to do, perfectly. The couch comes to me and gives me her hand and helps me get up from the ground.

   "Well done, Danieli! Have you ever done any gymnastics?"

   "8 years." I say and she smiles impressed.

I get back to my seat and I can't stop smiling when I see Kelly so happy and shocked at the same time. That's pretty much what I feel right now too.

   "You were amazing!" she says gesticulating chaotically. "Why didn't you tell me you did gymnastics?"

   "You didn't ask?" I answer with a question making her roll her eyes. "It just never came up."

   We turn our heads around when we hear some people's voices coming from the other side of the field.

   My eyes almost pop out of my head when I see who the people are. Some boys. The school's football team. I turn my head around and I look at Kelly again.

   "What?" she asks trying to act innocent.

   "You didn't know that they'll be here? It's impossible. You know everything." I say and she rolls her eyes.

   "I didn't think it would be important." she says raising her shoulders.

   I'm grimaching at her trying to make her understand I'm pissed. It is important. Knowing that Jake would most probably be present at every practice, waiting for me to fail as pathetic as possible, is really important.

   I look at Kelly who is staring at the boys. Or maybe staring at one boy particularly. I can't help but smile when I realize my friend has a crush over one of the football players. For a second I'm worried that she might have feeling for Jake, then I try to follow her eyes to figure out who she's looking at, only to see a group of three guys talking and laughing. Jake being one of them.

   "No!" I say almost screaming. "No way. I refuse to believe that." I continue making her frown.

   "What the hell are you talking about?"

   "Tell me I'm wrong! Please tell me I'm wrong and you don't have a crush on Jake!" I beg her obviously desperate, but all she does is burst into laughter.

   "What the hell is so funny? I'm dying here! Talk, woman! Talk!" I say almost yelling and grabing her shoulders and shaking her so she would stop laughing.

   "From all the guys there, you think I have a crush on Jake?" she says grimacing. "Please... I thought you know me better than that." she frowns then starts laughing again.

"Alright. It's not Jake. Then whom?" I say and she just giggles and tucks her hair behind her ear and looks at Jake's group again.

I look at Kyle and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach thinking that Kelly might hav en feelings for him. He never did or said anything to me, but I can't like him. I just can't. I know he's not a good guy. I heard a lot of thing about him, most of them coming from Kelly. So I tend to believe he's not the one I'm looking for.

    I look at the third member of Jake's group and I almost start laughing when I realize that's the guy. So obvious.

   "Matthew." I say a little too loud making Kelly panic and put her hands over my mout.

   She looks at the boys checking if one of them heard me, then se let's me go relieved.

   "I'm never telling you a secret! Ever again!" she says poiting her finger at me, making me laugh.

   "You didn't even tell me. I figured it out on my own." I say and she rolls her eyes.

   "Took you long enough..." she mumbles.

I pinch her arm and she slaps my hand. We look at each other as serious as possible then we both start laughing.

"Ok..." I say after we calm down. "Why Matthew? How did that happen?"

I look at her biting her lip and I almost start laughing again. She is so nervous. I look at the guy we're talking about - or trying to talk about - and I see him looking at us. I turn my head around panicked only to see Kelly looking at him too.

"Kelly!" I almost Kelly trying to catch her attention after she doesn't look at me for a couple of minutes.

"Yeah... Right..." she looks at me. "It's a long story."

"I have time." I smile. "I always have time for my friend.

"Well..." she says taking a deep breath. "It kinda started at Kyle's party. After the game, we spent a lot of time together. At the party... and after..." she says trying not to smile.

I look at her while she's telling me all about this guy she likes and I realize something: she loves him. Her eyes are glowing, she can't stop smiling and giggling...

"Do you trust him?" I interrupt her.

   "What is that supposed to mean?" she asks frowning.

"Jake and Matthew are good friends and they have a lot of things in common. I remember you telling me to be careful and not fall in love with Jake... because he's not a good guy. And now..."

"I didn't trust him at first." she interrupts me. "But then I got to know him. The real him. He's not lik en the rumors. At all." she looks into my eyes trying to convince me.

"Kelly... I want you to know that, if Matthew will ever hurt you, I will kill him with my bare hands." I say and she laughs. "I'm serious. He will regret the day he was born."

"Thank you." she whispers while hugging me.

"For what?"

"For being such a thoughtful and good friend."

"Well... I love you..." I say and she laughs.

"I love you too."

   Hey guys! Chapter 14! Wow! A lot has happened and A LOT more are going to happen from now on. What do you think of the book so far? Do you like it? What do you think about Jake and Nicole? Pretty complicated relationship, right? :))

   Please, do not hesitate to tell me your opinions about the book! I would love to know what you think atout it so far and what you think it will happen further on.

   Also don't forget to vote. :) It means a lot to me.